Cherished
by AonoRunic
Summary: "This is another of your tricks, made worse by the fact you brought Mother into it. You expect me to fight for your freedom after what you have done? Nay, Loki, I shall not, nor will I believe you carry my child." "What did you think would happen when a fertility god could not stop himself from rutting into my reproductive parts!"


Notes: So this is apparently what happens when I discover certain blogs dedicated to Loki's quim at four in the morning when I can't sleep; I decide there needs to be more intersex Loki in the world.

/

"You will stay here until Father decides your punishment."

Loki ignores Thor's serious tone, instead focusing on working out the kinks in his jaw caused by the damned muzzle. His eyes take in the cell's sparse furnishings, the books stacked in a corner undoubtedly left by Frigga, but it is the wash basin that sets his mind in motion.

Thor is still talking, Loki is still ignoring him, when he pulls his tunic over his head. His overcoat and armor had been taken from him before they even reached the dungeons, leaving him with substantially fewer clothing articles to remove. He hears the hitch in Thor's voice as the expanse of his stomach and chest are revealed, forces himself not to smirk when his not brother's fingers curl ever so slightly at his sides, as if such an action will quell his want.

He has one boot off and is working on the other when Thor finally speaks up again. "What are you doing?"

"Well," Loki drawls, looking for all as if he is innocent to the tightening bulge in Thor's pants, "unlike a certain someone, I was not afforded the luxury of a bath after our fight." Ah, yes, there is the tightening of Thor's muscles, the tension in his neck, all signs of an intense desire to punish Loki for his transgressions. Well Loki is about to give him an outlet, one that will satisfy them both. "So unless you plan on helping me remove my boot, I do not see the need for you to be here. Go on," Loki orders in the most patronizing voice he can muster, his hands working in a 'shooing' motion at the same time. "Be gone."

"Loki," Thor growls.

"Thor," Loki returns in a much more pleasant tone.

"You try my patience, brother."

Loki focuses his attention on his boot, working it off his foot and setting it down with a graceful flourish next to its mate. He turns his back to Thor, but not before making sure his brother sees his fingers reach up for the laces on his leggings. "I always try your patience, Thor." Loki sighs dramatically as he slides the material down his legs, bending over so Thor is presented with a front seat row to view his ass, but not enough to display his quim. It is a taunt, an obvious one, but one Thor has always fallen for.

Sure enough, the next moment Thor spins him around, and Loki finds his hips pinned between Thor's massive bulk and the small table, their faces so close there is no way for Thor to hide the quiver of his Adam's apple when Loki's breath ghosts over it. Thor's arms trap him on either side, creating a small, if warmer and much more enjoyable, prison. Loki runs a hand up along the straining muscles of Thor's arm, the one he uses to swing Mjolnir, gaining pleasure from the way it twitches under his light touch. "Why, Thor," he starts in barely a whisper, "you act as if I have angered you."

"You have angered me greatly, Loki." Thor's blue eyes bore into Loki's own, and he cannot suppress the shiver that runs down his spine. It has been a long time since Thor looked at him with such an intense combination of anger and lust, not since he cut Sif's golden hair from her head. "And now, when you are thrown down and defeated, you make a mockery of yourself, as if your crimes were mere trifling jests."

Loki nods along to Thor's words, deliberately rolling his hips against Thor's under the pretense of situating himself more comfortably on the table, relishing the feel of Thor's hard cock against his thigh and knowing that his brother wants him. "Defeated, yes, but not thrown down." He levels a predatory smirk at Thor, his arms wrapping around his brother's neck. "Not quite yet."

"You test me, Loki," Thor warns.

"And I am doing a rather good job of it, do you not agree?" Loki purrs in response.

That is the final straw. Thor roars and throws him to the floor. Loki gasps when he lands on his side, scrambles to reposition himself, but Thor gives him no time to recover. His not-brother's hands manhandle him onto his back and spreads his legs, presenting Loki's quim as if it were an offering on an altar. Loki, propping himself up on his elbows to watch, gasps again, this time in anticipation of what he knows Thor will do. Thor has always had a fascination bordering on worship for Loki's cunt.

It is the same no matter how many times they do this, but no less exciting. First, Thor will touch and explore, as delicately as he can while lost to his temper and overtaken by lust. Ah, there it is. Even knowing it is coming, Loki still gives a hiss of satisfaction, arching his hips and silently begging for more. Thor does not look at his face, all his attention is focused on Loki's most intimate place, his large fingers teasing along its folds. Loki bites his lip in a failed attempt to stifle a whine when his not-brother's thumb brushes against the base of his cock.

Thor pulls back, and even though Loki knows what comes next, he still lets out another whine when the heat of Thor's touch moves away from his quim. Second, Thor will hook Loki's legs over his broad shoulders, spreading Loki open for his mouth. Thor, no matter how angry, places a trail of kisses down the insides of his thighs, always hesitating just above the place where Loki truly wants him to be for a brief second, just to watch Loki tremble in anticipation.

Loki does just that, and Thor descends. His lips kiss along Loki's folds, tongue only flicking out to tease when Loki arches his back and gives a breathless cry of pleasure. If Thor is to cater to their desires, Loki is to perform for him. Loki's hands scrape uselessly against the floor. There is nothing close enough for him to hold onto, and if he tries to latch onto Thor's hair, the oaf will growl and stop, and that is something Loki cannot have right now. Thor alternates between teasing his lips along the base of Loki's cock and thrusting his tongue inside Loki's quim, his strong hands holding down Loki's hips. Loki writhes under the attention, moaning loudly to spur Thor on. Thor is a simple creature, and always responds best to immediate results. That is what Loki tells himself, right up until the point Thor's large hand wraps around his neglected cock while his mouth still works against his cunt; from then on Loki stops trying to deny just how much pleasure Thor gives to him. Trapped on all sides by Thor's warmth, his hands, his mouth, his shoulders, those thick arms, feeling only Thor surround him, Loki comes with the cry of 'Brother!' on his lips, spilling seed onto his stomach. When Thor finally pulls back to hover over Loki, still limp with the aftershocks of his orgasm, his beard is shiny with Loki' wetness.

And then, third, before Loki can recover, Thor is sheathing himself inside Loki like the great bumbling ox he is. Thor is relentless as he takes his pleasure from Loki's sensitive body, all Loki can do is try to hold on. It does not take long before Thor has worked Loki back into arousal, and reduces him to a moaning mass of flailing limbs and want. Thor's weight presses down on him, his movements creating much desired friction against Loki's cock. Loki's body accepts Thor as if it were made only for him, and at times like this, Loki thinks it was. There is no other that has ever fit so well inside him, at no one else's hands has Loki experienced pleasure in the way Thor gives it.

All too soon Loki is arching up again, spilling more of himself between their stomachs. Thor's answering growl echoes around the cell, intensifying the noise and driving it into every bone in Loki's body. It is only then that Thor truly lets loose, fucking Loki with no restrictions. He pounds into Loki's tight body with all his strength, before finally throwing his head back and roaring to the ceiling, coming hard while buried deep within his brother. Loki shivers, completely fucked out and fulfilled. He can feel Thor's seed leaking out of him and down his thighs, his body too filled to accept it all.

But then comes something new. When Thor realizes what he has done, his face twists with rage and hate. Loki cries out as Thor pulls away from him, too fast to be comfortable for either of them. Loki props himself up on his elbows, watching as Thor reties the laces of his pants before readjusting his cloak.

"Thor-" Loki starts, feeling for the first time since he stepped into his cell as if he has made a mistake.

"Do not," Thor cuts him off. "Enough of your tricks, Loki. I am done with them." And Thor speeds away, as if Loki is some common whore meant only to please for a single night, not the one his brother has professed to love for more than a thousand years now. It is so easy for Thor to throw him away after all.

Loki seethes, thoughts building on his anger, until all he wants is to wrap his hands around Thor's throat and squeeze. But he is exhausted, and such thoughts only drain more energy from him. He cleans himself with magic, all save for Thor's seed, too tired to deal with the wash basin, and drags himself into bed. The remnants of their coupling are sticky between his thighs, but he doesn't care. He can pretend for one more night that Thor still loves him as he should, as he has always claimed he would.

/

If the universe has taught Loki anything, it is that everything is Thor's fault; always. The first time Odin took them to Midgard the mortals had been in the middle of a horrible drought. They were still recovering from the Jotun attacks, so the drought was a staggering blow to people already used to dealing with harshness on a daily basis. Thor had snuck off while Loki listened to Odin conduct his business. Halfway through the meeting, a commotion interrupted Odin's council, but instead of finding an aggressive argument or attacking enemy, there was Thor, planting wheat. It shouldn't have worked, the planting season had long passed, and just weeks before harvest the mortals found themselves without a crop. But there was a trail of knee high plants along the path Thor had worked through the field, growing fast, golden and ripe. It was the first time Thor had done anything without having his brother at his side.

There had been another time, as if the first wasn't confirmation enough, when they were visiting the stables. Frigga had a beautiful mare, but the creature was barren. Thor had simply touched the horse, and a week later the Master of Horses informed the royal mother the mare was expecting.

Freya had eventually taught Thor to control his powers, and thank the Norns, or else Thor's adolescence would have been spent dealing with bastard children. But Thor was not the only fertile member of the family. Loki blamed his own on Thor, a side effect of being constantly in his brother's presence.

Loki isn't an idiot. He learned early on that men had cocks and women vaginas, and that he with both, was, and always would be, different. He hid his quim's existence from everyone save for Frigga. When Svaðilfari impregnated him, Loki told Thor it was a result of his shape shifting capabilities. Thor had believed him without question. They had still trusted one another back then.

Then there had been Angrboða. Loki had finally found someone like him, not just someone with both sex organs, but who appreciated magic and clever pranks. He had been hesitant when Angrboða suggested they have a child together, and if he had been wiser he would have refused, but eventually Angrboða wore him down. Three children he had born for Angrboða, all three later considered monsters by Asgard and taken from him upon his return, before Thor came to find him. It was only then that he learned Angrboða had been hiding him from the gazes of Odin and Heimdall in an attempt to turn Loki into a weapon against his family. Loki killed the sire of his children with his own hands.

After that there was no way to hide it from Thor. He learned his little brother was different, but instead of the rejection Loki so feared, he only admitted his love. It had taken Loki some time before he was willing to accept it. He'd never seen Thor be so patient about anything, but eventually Loki realized Thor was not Angrboða, and wanted nothing more from him than his love in return. When Loki had finally given it, finally decided he would call Thor lover as well as brother, Thor's smile would have put the sun to shame.

And now, Loki is reminded why everything is Thor's fault. He had used wards and herbs to ensure his overly virile brother did not impregnate him, but when he had fallen, those wards were destroyed. There had been no time to replace them, so when Thor took him against the floor to the cell, Loki's womb was open, and it accepted Thor's seed eagerly.

The first time Loki is ill, he is still in denial. Once is not enough to confirm the dawning horror of realization fighting to claw its way to the forefront of his mind. But the sickness persists, and when he looks up from heaving out his guts for the third time that day, Frigga is there to greet him. She has come in the flesh, not as an illusion, and Loki finally relents that his rejection, at least of this issue, is futile.

"Will you tell Thor?" he asks, languidly moving to the one chair in the cell in the hopes that his mother will not see how shaken he is. It is useless, Frigga has always seen through him, but he tries all the same.

Frigga waits until he composes himself, and pours him a cup of water. Loki looks from it to his mother's face, and knows there is no fighting her. He takes the water, grateful to wash out the after taste of bile from his mouth. Only when the cup is emptied does Frigga answer, "I will, although I doubt he will believe me."

Loki scoffs bitterly. "He will think I have roped you into another of my schemes. And then this child will be left to Odin to deal with. It would cause such a mess to have one of Thor's bastards running around vying for power with his _true_ heirs."

"Loki." Frigga's tone is admonishing, but it does nothing to stop the tirade of anger and fear spilling from Loki's lips.

"This child will be ripped from me, just as the others were. So much for Thor's love. I now know how far it extends, for all his promises to remain beside me forever!" The bitterness wells up and overflows, causing Loki's words to come out in a snarl, his fists to curl and claw at his legs. It is Thor's fault. It is always Thor's fault.

"Loki!" Frigga practically shouts, loud enough that Loki is certain it is not the first time she has called his name. "Thor loves you dearly, but, sweetheart, you have committed grievous sins against him and his friends, against the realms Thor has sworn to protect."

"It is no more than Thor himself did. Why are his actions rewarded while mine condemned? Oh, I know." Loki's voice turns smooth as silk and dangerous as a snake's bite. "It is because I am the Jotun bastard Odin no longer has a use for, while Thor will always be the golden son of Asgard!"

"Enough, Loki." Frigga's tone is forceful enough that Loki actually stops. "Thor knows what he did was wrong, and he has made steps toward recompense. You are here because you do not see the fault of your actions. Now," she continues before Loki can start ranting again, "I asked Thor to meet me here. We will tell him you are with child, together, and we will deal with his reaction, together."

Loki feels the tears threaten to fall from his eyes. By all rights Frigga should have abandoned him to his fate, she has no reason to be here. And yet, when she moves forward and wraps her arms around Loki, he is a child again, her child, crying in his mother's arms. "He will not believe me, not even with you at my side."

"Perhaps," Frigga answers, placing a kiss on top of his head. "He is angry with you yes, but he also feels the loss of his lover and brother. He thought you dead, and although you came back, it was as if you had slid further from his grasp. Allow Thor his anger, but know he will never abandon you or your child."

The doors to the prison open, and Thor's heavy footfalls echo down the stairs. Thor could not be quiet if he tried. That was why he always sent Loki to the kitchens when he wanted a midnight snack. Loki pushes lightly at Frigga's shoulders. With a roll of her eyes Frigga relents and backs off. At the last second Loki thinks maybe it would be better if Thor saw him taking comfort from their mother, but it is too late to change his mind as Thor stands before the warded cell. He has the same look in his eyes as went he left: anger and hate. If Thor truly loved him, he would not look at Loki like that.

"I am here, Mother," Thor announces, as if they could not see it for themselves. "What matter calls for such urgency?"

Frigga looks to Loki. Loki looks away, refusing to meet either of their gazes. He wants to tell Thor, wants him to know, but at the same time he fears…No, he is Loki, he fears nothing. Thor does not deserve to know if he is going to look at Loki like that.

Their mother sighs, looking very much like she wishes to shake her head, and yet somehow has the patience to refrain from doing so. "Thor, your brother is with child."

Thor's face immediately hardens. Loki would laugh if it was not directed at him, for who knew bright sunny Thor could ever look so dower? "No."

Loki does laugh then, and not even Frigga's disapproving glare stops him. "See how he says it, Mother? As if one mere word will undo my condition! Bravo, Thor, bravo!" Loki laughs again, but the more he does the more it sounds as if he is crying.

"Enough, Loki. No more of your lies, not now. If this is some desperate scheme so that I will intervene with Father on your behalf, it will not work."

"Oh, but it is not my lie, Thor. I was not the one who informed you of this," Loki drawls sweetly.

Thor looks like he wants to stomp his feet, to rant and rave, but he holds it in. Loki admits he is surprised. A year ago Thor would have tried punching him. Then, Thor speaks slowly, words Loki has feared, and with them comes the anger at himself for allowing a brief glimmer of hope that Thor would actually be understanding. "This is another of your tricks, made worse by the fact you brought Mother into it. You expect me to fight for your freedom after what you have done? Nay, Loki, I shall not, nor will I believe you carry my child."

"What did you think would happen when a fertility god could not stop himself from rutting into my reproductive parts!" Loki shouts back. He would have leapt for Thor's throat, had the cell wards not been in his way. "You took your pleasure from my body and left me spread out on the floor! Act the changed man all you want, Thor, but _never_ will you be able to hide your true colors from me!"

"You are the one who put yourself there!" Thor shouts back. "You were the one who continues to toy with me, even now! I will not be subjected to your jokes any longer!"

Loki sinks back in the chair, unable to believe what he has just heard. "The child you have put in my belly is a joke to you?"

There is a flash of regret in Thor's eyes. He knows this is true, otherwise Frigga would not be standing beside Loki, but he cannot decide if this was Loki's plan from the beginning, if when Loki taunted Thor into fucking him brutally, this was the result he desired. Loki does nothing to deny or confirm. He had not planned to conceive, well, not then. He had thought for centuries about what a child between him and Thor would be like, but never broached the subject. They were young, and Loki wished to have Thor to himself awhile longer. Loki told himself there would be time later, once Thor had taken the throne and could claim Loki's child his heir unchallenged. Like so many other plans, that one is now up in smoke.

Thor's muscles strain as he fights back anger. Blue eyes flick from Loki to Frigga, no doubt his tiny mind struggling to comprehend what he should feel. He turns on his heel and leaves, just like that. Loki's jaw actually drops in shock. He feels as if the ground has just crumbled beneath his feet, that once more he is going to be sent plummeting into darkness.

"Oh, Loki," Frigga says. Her gentle hand strokes down Loki's cheek, its pleasant warmth resting there until Loki is able to look at her. "Remember what I told you, sweet heart. He will not abandon you."

"This time, Mother," Loki whispers, drawing his knees up in front of him, "you are wrong."

Frigga only gazes at him sadly before going after Thor.

_Always the favored son._

/

Frigga returns the next day. Thor does not. Loki tells Frigga 'I told you so,' in every way possible, and he continues to do so every time she visits without Thor by her side. Frigga constantly tells him not to despair, that Thor wants him still, but yet as much as he wants to forgive his brother, it is just not that simple.

He uses illusions to hide his growing belly, so the guards do not see, and thus cannot gossip about his condition. If Thor does not wish to see his child, then no one else will. (He remains unaware of it, but Thor came twice while Loki was sleeping. Not being able to see evidence of Loki's pregnancy only made it harder for him to come to terms with it.)

Every day Thor stays away Loki tells himself Thor no longer loves him, and if Thor no longer loves him there is no reason for him to keep the child. Loki freezes when the thought enters his head. He still has access to his magic, it would be a simple thing to purge his body of the parasite growing within him. Thor would be angry. Oh, Thor would burn him in his rage, but he would look at Loki again, all of Thor's attention would be on him.

Loki stops eating. It is unintentional really, his mind is so preoccupied with debating if he should kill the child or not, he takes steps without knowing it down that path. Despite what people think, Loki loves his children, he misses them, and never before has he thought of taking such a drastic action, not even with Sleipnir. He would love this child, if only Thor would love it as well.

He nearly cries in relief when he wakes one day, well into his sixth month of pregnancy, and Thor is in the cell with him. Loki blinks his eyes a few times, making sure Thor and all of his brightness is real. There is a tray of food next to him on the table, and Loki realizes then that Frigga must have sent him, her last resort in restoring his health before relying on force to shove food down Loki's throat. He grimaces slightly at the thought of Eir being dragged into this, poking at him with her needles to compel nutrition into his weakening body.

Thor is watching him, and sits a little straighter when he sees Loki's eyes open. "Is this your plan, Loki, to risk your health and the child's just to gain my attention?"

Loki sits up slowly, weariness weighing down his movements. "I thought you did not believe I was pregnant?"

Thor's eyes run over his body, lingering on Loki's stomach. "You have Mother's thanks for my belief. She has not left me alone more than a few hours these past months." His eyes travel up to meet Loki's eyes for a brief second before going back to his stomach. "Let me see."

Normally Loki would be contrary, but right now he is too tired. He drops the illusion, revealing his round stomach. Loki stares at it for a moment. It is always rather unusual to see himself grow like this, and this time he has not even allowed himself to see the truth.

Thor's hand comes into his line of sight, hesitating just above the curve of the swell. Loki reaches out to entwine his fingers with Thor's, relishing the feel of warmth that rushes through him, and places Thor's hand on his stomach. Thor lets out the breath he has been holding when he feels Loki's flesh beneath his hand. "Loki."

There is a thrill that shoots through him, a rush of adrenaline, when Thor says his name with such reverence. Thor rests his big head against Loki's stomach, a grunt of acknowledgement when Loki's lithe fingers move through his hair. They stay in the embrace for some time, both content to allow each other a moment of peace, only coming out of their own little world when the baby kicks against Thor's cheek. Thor's hand shifts, and his eyes open, but otherwise he does not move.

"She has not done that before," Loki says lightly, still playing with Thor's hair.

"She? How do you know?" Thor lifts his head, taking with him his warmth.

Loki shrugs, his hand falling back to his side. "She feels like a she."

Thor chuckles softly. "And if the babe is a he?"

"Then we have a son, and I shall love him all the same."

Thor finally looks up at Loki, his hand unconsciously going back to rest on Loki's stomach. "Will you eat then, and no longer attempt to harm the child?"

Loki returns his look, realizing that Thor has just handed him an opportunity, and Loki is not about to waste it. "So long as you claim this child as yours. I would have her know her father, and not be shoved into the background of greatness."

"Loki," Thor says sternly, his famous temper flaring up again. "I will not be played this way."

"Then you will acknowledge her," Loki demands.

"Yes," Thor responds so quickly it surprises Loki. "You think lowly of me, brother, but I would never deny my own child."

Silence settles between them, and Loki allows it to linger for a tense moment before waving his hand. "Very well, bring me my food."

Thor stands, holding out his hands to help Loki up as well. "You can walk the five steps to the table, Loki. It would do you good to move."

Loki sets his face in a pout, making pitiful eyes at Thor, which just causes Thor to roll his own. He relents and lets himself be dragged to the table, where he more falls than sits down into the chair. There is an assortment of all of Loki's favorite fruits, cheeses, and meats. He feels both satisfaction at having made Thor bring them to him, and annoyance at the sentiment. He picks at the food under Thor's disapproving gaze, until he has finally eaten enough to satisfy his brother.

"There," Thor says, smiling at him, "all better."

Loki stares at him in a way that tells Thor exactly what he thinks of that statement. "And what is to happen to me now?"

Thor hesitates a moment, just long enough that Loki knows he will not like the answer. "Father has agreed to let me raise the child without intervention, so long as no threat to Asgard rises in connection with her. But…" Thor sighs heavily before he continues. "He will not release you. He will send the best care available to tend to you, but you will remain in this cell for the duration of your pregnancy. Father will pass his judgment after the birth."

"Ah," Loki responds, his voice turning smooth and causing Thor to tense. He knows better than anyone that particular sign of danger. "So he shall not take my child's life with mine, and only afterwards put the ax to my neck."

Thor sighs and shakes his head. "Loki, do not do this, not now."

"Why, brother, one would almost think you excited to become a single parent."

"Don't," Thor growls, his tone triggering fear inside Loki. "That is the last thing I want, and I will not have you twisting words so that your warped mind believes otherwise." Loki growls and moves to stand, but Thor is suddenly in his face, holding onto his arms and pulling him close enough his stomach rubs against Thor's. "I know you better than anyone, Loki. I know how you lie to yourself. Do not do it now. I am not the villain you wish to see me as. If I had my way you would be moved into Bilskirnir, and there we would raise our child as a family."

People think Loki earned the name 'Silvertongue' because of his words, what they do not realize is that sometimes the best persuasions are not spoken. When it comes to Thor, action is always better.

Loki tilts his head back, offering his lips, which Thor descends upon. Loki moans into the kiss, melts into the hand Thor wraps around the back of his neck. His arms wrap around Thor's shoulders, trying to pull him as close as possible. There are other prisoners in the cell across from his now, and they watch as Thor gently, but impatiently shoves Loki back toward the bed. Let them watch, Loki would have all the Nine Realms know that Thor is his.

Thor unties the laces of Loki's leggings, pushing them down impatiently. Loki's legs hit the edge of the bed, and he lets himself fall back. Thor kneels before him, quickly working the leggings the rest of the way down Loki's legs, before throwing them across the cell. Thor spreads his legs, his lips hungrily brushing over Loki's inner thighs. Loki rests his hand on the top of Thor's head, urging him on. Thor growls, but for once does not stop.

And then Thor slows, all the haste drains from his movements. He spends far too long for Loki's liking just letting his breath ghost over Loki's quim, and Loki whines loudly to voice his disapproval. Finally, _finally_, Thor leans in, placing a kiss on either side of Loki's folds, his tongue flicking out to tease. Above him, Loki moans, one hand twisting in Thor's hair, the other resting on his stomach. It is torturous how gentle Thor is being, and Loki plans on telling him so, but Thor's tongue chooses that moment to lick along the base of his cock, and all Loki can do is make little noises of pleasure.

Thor finally gets to work, his tongue darting inside Loki's cunt, but Loki needs more. "Thor," he whines. His answer is a grunt, and somewhere in the part of his mind not clouded by his own pleasures, Loki realizes Thor is stroking himself. "Thor," he breathes again. It spurs Thor on, his tongue working deeper into Loki. Loki throws his head back and repeats, "Thor, Thor, Thor," over and over again like his life depends upon his ability to say his lover's name. Moments later, Loki is crying out to the ceiling, screaming Thor's name for the entire dungeon to hear, and Thor, with his face still buried between Loki's legs, spills his seed onto the floor.

Loki sighs contentedly, petting Thor's head until his brother recovers enough to stand. "You will come to me again?" Loki asks, leaning forward to use Thor's stomach as a pillow.

Thor leans down to kiss the top of his head lovingly, moving Loki so that he can tuck him in. "Of course. Now, sleep."

Loki would argue, would rave about being ordered around, but for once Thor has a most excellent idea.

/

Thor keeps his promise, he comes almost every day for the next three months, save for those he spends righting the order of the realms once more. As much as Thor wishes to fawn over his unborn child, he is, as always, too good, and goes rushing off whenever someone calls for his help. It is rather annoying really.

Loki feels the contractions start less than an hour after Thor returns from Alfheim, not that Loki knows that. He paces his cell, waiting for news of Thor's return that will only come when Thor himself walks into the dungeons. His water breaks two hours after that, all at once, flooding his pants and making a mess of the floor. Loki calls for the guards. They ignore him. He memorizes their faces for later, when he can extract revenge upon them. He wants Thor there with him when the child is born, but it looks like he will be alone. Not even Mother comes down.

It is only when Loki is screaming on the bed, straining to push the child out of his body, that the guards jump into action. Thor and Frigga literally run to him, and Loki has a moment of satisfaction when Thor yells at the guards over his shoulder. It goes rather quickly from there, by far the easiest birth he has gone through. He pushes the babe into Frigga's waiting arms while Thor holds onto his hand and kisses his fingers. She cleans and wraps it, cuts the umbilical cord, and finally hands his child up to him.

"You see," he tells Thor triumphantly as he looks her over, "a daughter."

"A perfect child," Thor answers, snuggling up on the bed next to Loki so he can see their child.

"She is all you," Loki pouts. Their daughter has a tuff of blond hair on her head, and when she opens her eyes, squeezing them shut the next second against the bright lights of the dungeon, she reveals blue eyes.

"Nonsense," Thor rumbles, the movement of his chest shaking Loki's shoulder. "She has your nose."

Loki holds his daughter close, his perfect daughter, his first child with Thor, and laughs. He will later blame his agreeability on hormones. Frigga leaves them alone then, but not before giving Loki a smile that, in his current condition, he cannot help but return.

Loki is tired, but he does not want to sleep. He knows his daughter will not be there when he wakes. Thor reads him too well. He kisses Loki temple, his lips lingering as if unwilling to stop touching Loki. "Sleep, Loki. Father will see you when you wake, and after that your daughter will be in your arms once more."

"You cannot promise that. You do not know." Loki curls up, trying to cut off the rest of the world from his daughter.

Thor kisses his temple again. Loki can feel the upturn of his lips, as if Thor knows something he does not. "Trust me, Loki, just this once."

Thor does not push again, allows Loki to slowly uncurl from his protective ball, before reaching for their daughter. Loki allows him to take her, his head lulling onto Thor's shoulder. "If you lie, I will burn all of Asgard to get her back."

"I have no doubt," Thor responds. His voice is caught somewhere between realizing the seriousness of Loki's threat, and amusement, which would annoy Loki if he had been awake to hear it.

/

Just as Thor said, when Loki wakes again, Odin is sitting in his chair, holding his daughter. "She is a stubborn thing," Odin says softly. "She refuses to take milk from either a wet nurse or a bottle."

Loki grins as he pushes himself up, and reaches out for her. Odin carefully hands her over, averting his gaze as Loki opens his shirt and directs his daughter to a swollen nipple, Loki's smile growing wider when she finally latches on and begins to suckle. "She knows who gave her life."

"Yes," Odin drawls, managing to sound both affectionate and exasperated. "I was hardly surprised when Frigga told me you were expecting. I should have realized sending Thor to ensure your safe arrival to the dungeons would not end well."

"I think it ended very well," Loki counters, his eyes never leaving his daughter's face.

Odin gets up and walks to the edge of the cell before answering, "Yes, I supposed it did." He sighs heavily, and Loki knows what is coming next. "I had originally decided that you would spend the rest of your days in this cell, never again to see Thor or Frigga, but you have, as you always do, forced me to recalculate."

"So what is my fate then?"

"Thor wants you released. That, I cannot do." Loki feels his heart sink, and clutches his daughter tighter to his chest. "I have, however," Odin continues, seemingly unaware of Loki's fear, "decided that you will be placed under house arrest within Bilskirnir. You will care for your daughter there, but you will be subject to any rules Thor decides to set for you. When he is gone, you will be moved to the palace, and subject to my rules. If you break them, or I discover you have once more plotted to destroy the peace of Asgard, I will see you back in this cell. Do we have an understanding?"

Loki nods. These are terms he can accept, for now while his daughter is small. He will content himself by caring for her, and slowly work to reestablish the hold he once had over Thor. "I accept your terms, Allfather."

"Then I, Odin Allfather, release you into the care of Thor Odinson. You will be escorted to Bilskirnir, and will remain there as prisoner."

Loki smiles down at his child. They may call him prisoner all they want, but Loki knows that is the one thing he no longer is.

/

"I do not like it."

"What is wrong with Þrúðr? It is a strong name."

"Þrúðr," Loki repeats, drawing out the sounds. In her crib, his daughter smiles and waves her little arms around at his voice.

"You see?" Thor says, wrapping his arms around Loki and resting his chin on Loki's shoulder to look down into the crib. "She likes it."

"She likes the sound of my voice," Loki corrects.

Instead of answering, Thor just repeats, "Þrúðr," causing their daughter to smile again.

"Or she has inherited your bad taste as well."

Thor laughs, because he knows that is the closest Loki will come to a spoken agreement on their daughter's name. "She is beautiful and strong, and her name fits her well."

Loki hums softly before turning in Thor's embrace. He takes a deep breath, filling his nose with Thor's scent, and surrounding himself with that wonderful warmth. "Are you happy with me?"

Thor brings one large hand up to rest against the back of Loki's neck, his thumb rubbing against his brother's jaw line. "If you mean do I forgive you, no, for I do not believe you are sorry. Your actions have caused more damage than you seem to be aware of, and it will take a long time before everything that can be repaired is. But yes, I am happy. I am happy to have you at my side again, and I am happy that our daughter is here."

Loki wraps his arms around Thor's waist, pressing as much of himself as possible against Thor's body. "I would give you a horde of children if it kept you happy with me." If he is pregnant Thor will have no excuse not to lavish Loki with attention.

Thor chuckles lightly, Loki smiling into his shoulder as Thor's chest shakes. "I do not doubt you would, and while the thought of you once more heavy with my child is rather tempting, we should focus on the one birthed but a day ago."

"Mmm," Loki sighs, mouthing at the skin just above the collar of Thor's tunic. "She is perfect."

"That she is."

Thor's hand slides under Loki's chin, tilting his head up so that Thor can catch his lips in a kiss.

/

End Notes:

For anyone interested, this story went through two other endings. The first had Thor taking too long to return, and Loki used magic to kill the child. Apparently that was too depressing for even me to write.

The second had Odin enacting that Loki would be under house arrest for a year, and then his sentence would be revisited. Loki kept getting around it by getting pregnant until Odin gave up and decided house arrest would be a permanent punishment. The reason that one didn't get written is because I realized that given the timeline, Malekith's attack is only three months away, and would make a good sequel if people wanted to see one.


End file.
